Printing plate bending and mounting machine



June 27, 1961 cs. MANGUS ETAL PRINTING PLATE BENDING AND MOUNTINGMACHINE Filed March 18, 1957 INVENTORS us i/Z/Z fi //gs 9 Sheets-Sheet 1Geo er o June 27, 1961 G. MANGUS EI'AL PRINTING PLATE BENDING ANDMOUNTING MACHINE Filed March 18, 1957 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 S S m i ma Z Mmmw mi W G. MANGUS ET AL PRINTING PLATE BENDING AND MOUNTING MACHINE June27, 1961 June 27, 1961 e. MANGUS EIAL PRINTING PLATE BENDING ANDMOUNTING MACHINE Filed March 18, 1957 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 7/ 1 m NQ m QNN 3Ila Q E W new WQ INVENTOR.

ii /e 7" 9 SheetsSheet 8 G. MANGUS EI'AL PRINTING PLATE BENDING ANDMOUNTING MACHINE Filed March 18, 1957 WWWMH I I I I WWMW HHHHHH UT IJune 27, 1961 June 27, 1961 G. MANGUS ETAL 2,990,000

PRINTING PLATE BENDING AND MOUNTING MACHINE Filed March 18, 1957 9Sheets$heet 7 IN V EN TOR. eovyewa gus June 27, 1961 G. MANGUS ETALPRINTING PLATE BENDING AND MOUNTIN Filed March 18, 1957 G MACHINE 9Sheets-Sheet 8 R m m m George 7770/7 r 0 Patented June 27, 19612,990,000 PRINTING PLATE BENDING AND MOUNTING MACHINE George Mangus,Miami, and Vernon R. Spitaleri, South lvliami, Fla., assignors to KnightNewspapers, Inc., Miami, Fla., a corporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 18,1957, Ser. No. 646,846 6 Claims. (Cl. 153-40) This invention relates toprinting and, in particular, to printing from curved plates on cylinderpresses.

One object of this invention is to provide a printing plate bending andmounting machine for simultaneously curving original engraved printingplates and attaching them to a curved dummy or adapter which in turn iscapable of being mounted directly upon a cylinder press and usedimmediately for rotary printing procedure, as, for example, in highspeed newspaper printing presses.

Another object is to provide a machine of the foregoing character havingheaters incorporated therewith for heating and consequently softeningthe plate while it is being bent to the curvature of the dummy, which isheated to a lower temperature to provide difierential thermalcontraction upon cooling, which securely shrinks the plate to the dummy.

Another object is to provide a machine of the foregoing character havingmeans incorporated therewith for further bending the ends of the platearound the opposite ends of the dummy in order to secure these to oneanother and lock them solidly together.

Another object is to provide a machine, as set forth in the objectimmediately preceding, wherein the bending means also includes means forfacilitating the insertion of securing fasteners, such as screws,through the bent end of the plate into the aligned threaded holes in theabutting ends of the dummy.

Another object is to provide a machine of the foregoing character havingprecision stops incorporated therewith for precisely regulating therotation and consequent travel of the plate-bending cylinder, so thatthe opposite ends of the dummy will come to a halt immediately over theopposite ends of the plate in order to provide accurate registry thereofprior to securing the opposite ends of the plate to the opposite ends ofthe dummy.

Another object is to provide a machine of the foregoing character forbending the original printing plate into snugly fitting engagement witha dummy forming a circumferential section of a hollow cylinder, thecombined thickness of the plate and dummy being that of the conventionalstereotype plates commonly used in high speed newspaper printingpresses, the machine also enabling the bending of the opposite ends ofthe printing plate around the opposite ends of the dummy so as to securethese firmly to one another, thereby performing all precision operationsprior to the arrival of the plate at the press room, and eliminating theneed for precision setup operations at the printing press itself.

Another object is to provide a machine, as set forth in the objectimmediately preceding, wherein the grooves or other recesses formed inthe printing plate in connection with the preparation of the printingplate are also used for accurate lining up of the printing plate withthe dummy preparatory to bending the plate around the dummy and securingtheir opposite ends to one another.

Another object is to provide a process of simultaneously heating,registering, bending and mounting an original engraved plate upon acylindrical sector-shaped dummy with the result that the printing plateand dummy, thus united to one another, are interchangeable as a unitwith the stereotype plates previously used on rotary cylinder presses,such as in high speed newspaper printing.

Another object is to provide a process of the fore going character and aprinting plate and connector unit, wherein the photo-engraver attachesto the opposite ends of the printing plate locking clips or connectionmembers which are subsequently used to connect and secure the printingplate, after bending, to the dummy.

Another object is to provide a modified process and a modified printingplate and connector arrangement whereby the printing plate is grooved insuch a manner as to provide gripping portions for subsequent engagementby gripping members secured to opposite ends of a cylindricalsector-shaped dummy against which the thus-prepared printing plate isbent and to which it is thereby secured.

Another object is to provide a machine of the foregoing characterwherein the bending cylinder is equipped with precision lateral dummyclamping and aligning devices which insure accurate registry of thedummy with the printing plate in a lateral direction prior to bendingthe printing plate onto the dummy and securing it thereto.

Another object is to provide a modified arrangement whereby a pluralityof printing plates may be bent into engagement with a cylindricalsector-shaped dummy and secured thereto in accurately predeterminedpositions so as to cause the printing impressions therefrom to appear inaccurately-located positions upon the printed matter subsequentlyproduced thereby.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentduring the course of the following description of the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a machine for bending and securing anoriginal printing plate to a hollow cylindrical sector dummy forsubsequent use in place of a stereotype plate upon a conventional rotarycylinder press, according to one form of the invention, with the partsarranged in their positions immediately prior to the beginning of theplate-bending operation;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross-section taken along the line 2-2 in FIGURE1;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal section taken along the line 3-3 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal central vertical section taken along the line4-4 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section taken along the line5-5 in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section similar to thelower left-hand corner portion of FIGURE 4, but showing the position ofthe parts after the starting end of the printing plate has been bentaround the starting end of the dummy;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary vertical section of the central portion ofFIGURE 6, showing the positions of the parts after a threaded fastenerhas been inserted through the end-bending device and through theconnecting bar and bent plate end into the starting end of the dummy;

FIGURE 8 is a front elevation of the plate bending cylinder used in themachine of FIGURES 1 to 7 inclusive, showing the lateral aligning andclamping devices engaging a dummy placed on the cylinder;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary radial section through one of the clamping andaligning devices of FIGURE 8, taken along the line 9-9 therein;

FIGURE 10 is a side elevation of the printing unit resulting from thebending and securing of an original printing plate to a hollowcylindrical sector dummy in the machine of FIGURES 1 to 9 inclusive;

FIGURE 11 is a perspective view of the printing plate and connecting barassembly ready for use in the machine of FIGURES 1 to 9 inclusive;

FIGURE 12 is an enlarged end elevation of the as sembly shown in FIGURE11;

FIGURE 13 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken along the line1313 in FIGURE 12;

FIGURE 14 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken along the line1414 in FIGURE 12;

FIGURE 15 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken along theline 15-15 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 16 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section through oneend of a hollow cylindrical sector dummy and printing plate attachedthereto, according to a modification of the invention;

FIGURE 17 is a top plan view, partly in horizontal section, of themodification shown in FIGURE 16;

FIGURE 18 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section, through oneend of a hollow cylindrical sector dummy and printing plate attachedthereto, according to a further modification of the invention;

FIGURE 19 is a top plan view of a hollow cylindrical sector dummy and aplurality of printing plates attached thereto, according to a stillfurther modification of the invention;

FIGURE 20 is a side elevation of the assembly shown in FIGURE 19;

FIGURE 21 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section taken alongthe line 2.12 1 in FIGURE 19;

FIGURE 2.2 is a view similar to FIGURE 2, but mainly in elevation, of amodified bending cylinder unit employ ing a different heatingarrangement from that of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 23 is a left-hand end elevation of the unit of FIGURE 22, withone of the end plates of the drum broken away to show the conductorconnection;

FIGURE 24 is a top plan view partly in horizontal section, of a slightlymodified bed plate from that shown in FIGURE 3, employing a somewhatdilferent heating arrangement;

FIGURE 25 is a longitudinal vertical section taken along the line 2525in FIGURE 24; and

FIGURE 26 is a vertical cross-section taken along the line 2626 inFIGURE 24.

Hitherto, high speed printing of newspapers and other similar printedmatter has been accomplished on high speed rotary presses carryingstereotype plates for producing the printed impression upon the paper.These stereotype plates have been cast by bringing molten metal intocontact with matrices of specially prepared paper which have previouslybeen pressed into contact with printing materials, such as type,engraving, plastic adplate, etc. in order to receive an impression fromwhich stereotype plates could be cast. Such stereotype plates resultedin high volume production of newspapers, but the quality of reproductionwas considerably inferior to that produced by direct printing fromoriginal plates produced by photo-engraving processes. Such originalplates, however, previously consumed so much time in preparation that itwas impractical to attempt to produce them in the quantities necessaryfor use in a newspaper printing plant.

Recently, however, improvements in high speed etching processes andcolor separation techniques have enabled the production of process colorengravings with great rapidity, such as the production of a plate everytwo or three minutes. This procedure for the first time makes itfeasible, from a time point of view, to print newspapers directly fromengraved plates rather than by stereotype plates cast from papermatrices produced from engraved plates. Ordinary engraved plates,however, are not directly adaptable to high speed rotary printingpresses, such as are used for the printing of newspapers, becausestereotype plates (tubular and semicylindrical) are thick and curvedlike a section of a hollow cylinder, Whereas the engraved platesproduced by conventional photoengraving processes are thin and flat.

In general, the present invention provides a machine and process wherebyan engraved plate is bent into arcuate form against a curved thick dummyor adapter which is adapted to fit into the printing press cylinder, sothat the combined thicknesses of the curved plate and dummy aresubstantially the same as the thickness of a standard stereotype plate.The present invention provides not only a means of bending the engravedplates into firm contact with the dummies, but also of firmly securingthe opposite ends of the plates to the opposite ends of the dummies, sothat, in efiect, the printing plate and dummy form a substantiallyinseparable unit. Diflierential heating and cooling is resorted to inorder to shrink the plate tightly against the dummy. As a result, thisunit can be handled in the press room in a manner similar to that ofhandling stereotype plates, with the same facility for ac curatealignment and positioning (registry) if required, and with greatlysuperior quality of reproduction of the printed matter, such asnewspapers produced on the press.

In the machine of the present invention, the engraved plate is placedflat upon a heated flat bed, one end is secured in an improved manner tothe end of a hollow cylindrical sector dummy which has been clamped to aheated cylinder overlying the secured end of the printing plate; thecylinder is then rolled forward over the printing plate, bending theprinting plate into contact with the curved dummy until the opposite endof the dummy reaches the corresponding opposite end of the printingplate. That end of the printing plate is then similarly secured to theadjacent end of the dummy in an improved manner, whereupon the printingunit consisting of the dummy and the now-curved printing plate mountedthereon is ready for application to the cylinder of the rotary printingpress in place of the thick curved stereotype plates previously used.

Referring to the drawings in detail, FIGURES l to 4 inclusive show aprinting plate bending and mounting machine, generally designated 30,according to one form of the present invention as mounted upon asupporting frame 32 having legs 34 which support an open rectangular topportion 36 drilled vertically at 38 to receive bolts 40 by whichparallel toothed rack bars 42 are secured to the top portion 36. Therack bars 42 are provided on their upper edges with teeth 44- and aredrilled horizontally as at 46 (FIGURE 3) to receive bolts 48 which arethreaded into the opposite side portions 50 of an approximatelycross-shaped bed plate 52 (FIGURE 3). The bed plate 52, as its namesuggests, has a substantially flat top surface 54 with parallelupstanding ridges 5 6 at its opposite ends adapted to enter corresponding grooves 58 at the opposite ends of the printing plate, generallydesignated 60 (FIGURE 11).

The printing plate 60 is conventional and is produced by conventionalprocesses which are beyond the scope of the present invention. Suchprinting plates 60 are customarily made from metal, such as magnesiumalloys which are easily attacked by the etching acids used in thepreparation of engraved plates. Each plate 60 is of rectangular outlinewith parallel side edges 59 and ends 61 and has an outer or printingsurface 62 and an inner or backing surface 64 on its main or centralportion 63. Secured to each printing plate 60 at its opposite ends arefastening clips 66 in the form of angle bars of approximately L-shapedcross-section. These angle bar clips 66 have horizontal and verticalportions 68 and 70 respectively, the former having a groove 72 near itsjunction with the latter for receiving the rib 74 formed on the end 61of the printing plate 60 by the groove 58 therein and providing aneasily bendable thin wall 76 above the groove 58. The groove 72 in thehorizontal clip bar portion 68 also provides a rib 78 which projectsupwardly into the groove 58 in the printing plate 60 and interlocks withthe rib 74 thereof to provide a printing plate unit, generallydesignated 80, including the angle clip bars 66, which are secured tothe printing plate 60 by fasteners 82, such as rivets, engaging the ribs68. The ribs 68 are also drilled at intervals with holes 84 aligned withholes 86 in the thin portion 76 of the plate (FIGURES 13, 14 and 15)through which screws or other fasteners 87 (FIGURE 7) are subsequentlyinserted, as described below.

The bed plate 52 has depending edge flanges 88 (FIG- URE 4) which form aheater chamber 90 closed by a closure plate 92 secured to the bottomthereof. Secured to depending bosses 94 within the chamber 90 aremultiple parallel electrical heating units 98, the opposite ends ofwhich are interconnected by cross conductors 98 to which in turn areconnected conductors 100 and 102 (FIGURE 3) leading to an externalsource of electricity. The bed plate 52 is provided in one of its sideportions 50 with a dovetail groove 104 (FIGURES l and 3) extendingalmost to the midportion thereof from one side edge thereof andcontaining a sliding stop or positioning block 106 of correspondingdovetail cross-section clamped in place by a clamping bolt 108. The stopblock 106 engages one of the side edges 59 of the printing plate 60 toaccurately locate the printing plate 60 laterally at a predeterminedlocation on the bed plate 52.

The printing plate 60 is bent and secured in the manner set forth belowto a curved dummy or adapter, generally designated 114, having bevelledside edges 115. In order to bend the thin end portions 76 of theprinting plate 60 around the rounded edges 110 of the opposite ends 112of the hollow cylindrical sector dummy or adapter 114, to which theprinting plate unit 80 is to be secured (FIGURES 10 and 15) and securethe thin portion 76 thereto by suitable fasteners mounted in thethreaded screw holes 116 in the dummy ends 112, the machine 30 isprovided with bending units, generally designated 120, mounted on themachine at the opposite ends of the printing plate 60. Each bending unit120 is journaled upon flanged disc bearings 122 (FIGURE 3) of flangedcylindrical form which are drilled to receive screws 124 securing theirlower portions to threaded holes 126 in the sides of the bed plate endportion 128. The bearings 122 have cylindrical bearing surfaces 130which engage bores 132 in the hubs 134 of crank arms 136, the ends ofwhich carry laterally-projecting operating handles 138. Extendingbetween the crank arms 136 and secured thereto as by the screws 140 is abending bar 142.

Each bending bar 142 in its inoperative position at the commencement ofbending operations is in the vertical position shown in FIGURES 4 and 15res-ting against the adjacent end surface 143 of the bed plate 52, fromwhich it is swung upwardly into the horizontal position of FIGURE 6during the bending operation, as described below in connection with theoperation of the invention. The bending bar 142 is provided with athickened ofiset edge portion 145 containing a groove 144 (FIGURE 15)shaped and dimensioned to receive the horizontal portion 68 of the anglebar clip 66 and having bores 146 aligned with the bores 84 and 86 in theclips 66 and printing plate thin portion 76 and of a sufficiently largediameter to pass the heads of screws subsequently inserted in the holes84 and 86 (FIGURE 15). Thus, the groove 144 in the bending bar 142provides parallel upstanding ribs 148 and 149 on the bending bar 142,the rib 148 entering the space between the end of the bed plate 52 andthe overhanging clip 66, and the somewhat higher rib 149 serving as anabutment against which the vertical portion 70 of the bar clip 66 restsduring bending.

The hollow cylindn'cal sector dummy or adapter 114 is so designatedbecause it is in the form of a sector of a hollow cylinder ofconsiderably greater radial thickness than the thickness of the printingplate 60. With the printing plate unit 80 it forms an adapter-and-plateassembly, generally designated 150 (FIGURE 10). The outer cylindricalsurface 152 of the dummy 114 is adapted to be engaged by the backsurface 64 of the printing plate 60 and their combined radialthicknesses when bent in the manner shown in FIGURE 10 by the machine 30into the assembly 150 substantially equal the thickness of theconventional cast metal stereotype plate which the assembly 150 isintended to replace in the rotary cylindrical printing press, accordingto the invention. The dummy 114 is thus an adapter or filler ofpartially hollow cylindrical form intended to fill in the space betweenthe bent printing plate 60 and the outer surface of the cylinder of thepress. The rearward cylindrical surface 154 of the dummy or adapter 114accurately fits the outer cylindrical surface of the rotary presscylinder (not shown). The dummy or adapter 114 adjacent its oppositeends 112 is provided with rabbets 156 adapted to receive the bar clipportions 70 after the bending operation has been completed (FIGURES 10and 15), the edges of the rabbet 156 and bar clip portion 70 beingcorrespondingly inclined or beveled.

In order to provide accurate positions for the beginning and ending ofthe bending operation, stop units, generally designated 158 and 160, areprovided near the opposite ends of the bed plate 52 (FIGURES l and 2)and of similar construction, hence the parts are designated with thesame reference numerals. Each stop unit 158 and 160 consists of anapproximately inverted-T-shaped support 162 bolted as at 164 to the sidesurface of the adjacent rack bar 42 and bored at its upper end as at 166to receive a pivot pin or bolt 168. The latter pivotally supports aswingable stop lever 170 having an upper arm 172 provided with a lateralvertical stop edge 174 and a lower arm 176 with a laterally-projectingboss 178 thereon. The hub 178 is provided with a socket 180 (FIGURE 2)in Which a pointed plunger 182 is reciprocably mounted and urged into acorresponding recess 184 in the support 162 by a compression spring 186mounted in the socket 180. The spring 176 encircles a shank 188 attachedto the plunger 182 and passes through the suitably drilled end wall 190of the boss 178, terminating in an operating knob 192. The recess 184 isso located that when the pointed plunger 182 enters it, the verticalstop edge 174 is positioned at the precise location intended for thehalt ing place of the periphery of the bending cylinder supporting shaft194 of a bending cylinder unit, generally designated 196.

The bending cylinder unit 196 is supported by a pair of toothed wheelsor gears 198, the hollow hubs 199 of which are keyed or otherwisesecured (FIGURE 2) to the opposite ends of the shaft 194. The wheels 198have peripheral teeth 200 adapted to register with the teeth 44 on therack bars 42, with the result that the toothed wheels 198 roll along thetoothed rack bars 42 as on tracks. Retaining bars 202 are secured to theinner surfaces of the rack bars 42 to prevent the toothed wheels 198from running oh" the tracks formed thereby (FIG- URE 2). Also keyed asat 204 to the shaft 194 inwardly of the wheels 198 are the hubs 206 atthe opposite ends of a bending cylinder 298, the cylindrical peripheralwall 218 of which has opposite sides 211 and a cylindrical surface 212forming a seat curved to fit the inner cylindrical surface 154 of thedummy or adapter 114 (FIGURE 4). At diametrically opposite locations,the peripheral wall 210 is provided with grooves 214 of arcuatecross-section sufficiently deep to provide clearance for the thickenededge portions 143 of the bending bars 142 during the bending operationupon reaching the bending positions (FIGURES 6 and 7). Projectingradially inward from the inner surfaces of the peripheral wall 210 ofthe bending cylinder 208 are multiple bosses 216 arranged in two rows inaxially-spaced parallel planes (FIGURE 2) adapted to support multipleelectrical heating units 218 arranged in a squirrel-cage formation andhaving their opposite ends interconnected by arcuate almost-circularconductor bars 220 and 222, the ends of which are in turn connected toconductors 224 and 226 respectively passing through a bore 228 in theshaft 194 to contact rings 230 and 232 respectively mounted on a hub orplug 234 of insulating material through which the conductors 224 and 226pass (FIGURE 2). The heating units 218 are of course suitably insulatedfrom the bosses 216, and the contact rings 230 and 232 are engaged bycontact brushes 236 and 238 respectively. The brushes 236 and 238 aremounted in a hollow housing 240 cucircling the plug 234, which is itselfinserted in the end of the bore 223 in the shaft 194, and are connectedto conductors 242 and 244 respectively for connection to a source ofelectric current.

In order to secure the dummy or adapter 1'14 to the bending cylinder 208in an accurately predetermined position prior to the plate bendingoperation (FIGURES 8 and 9), stop blocks 246 with bevelled inner sideedges 248 fitting the bevelled side edges 115 of the dummy 114 arebolted or otherwise secured in peripherally-spaced relationship to theperipheral cylindrical surface 212 of the bending cylinder 208 andclamped against them by clamping devices, generally designated 250,including movable clamping blocks 252 also with similarly bevelled edges254. The clamping blocks 252 have base portions 256 of dovetailcross-section fitting into axial slots 258 (FIGURE 1) also of dovetailcross-section in the periphery of the bending cylinder 208 and bored andthreaded axially as at 260 (FIGURE 9) to receive the threaded shank 262of a clamping screw 264, the head 266 of which is pinned or otherwisesecured to the outer end of the screw 262 in spaced relationship to anenlargement 268. Rotatably engaging the screw 262 between theenlargement 268 and the inner end of the head 266 is a bracket 270 whichis secured as by the fasteners 272 to one of the sides 211 of thebending cylinder 288. Consequently, when the screw 262 is rotated by theknurled head 266, the bracket 270 prevents it from moving axially, hencethe clamping block 252 moves back and forth into clamping engagementwith the dummy or adapter 114. Prior to the operation of the machineshown in FIGURES 1 to 9' inclusive, the operator rolls the bendingcylinder unit 126 to the left on the rack bar rails 42 beyond theposit-ion shown in FIGURE 1 in order to position the grooves 214 ofarcuate cross-section in an approximately horizontal plane in order topresent uppermost the clamping devices 250 on the portion of the bendingcylinder 208 intended to receive the dummy or adapter 114. The latter isthen placed in its intended position with its opposite ends 112overhanging the grooves 214 (FIGURE 4). While the bending cylinder unit196 is still retracted to the left of the left-hand bending unit 120,the printing plate unit with its angle bar clips 66 riveted or otherwisesecured thereto after the photo-engraving process has been completed, isplaced face down upon the upper surface 54 of the bed plate 52 (FIGURES3 and 4) with the ridges 56 fitting the grooves 58 over approximatelyhalf of their widths.

The handles 138 of the bending units 120 are assumed to have beenpreviously placed in the positions shown in FIGURES l and 4 in order toposition the bending bars 142 against the adjacent end surfaces 143 ofthe bed plate 52. In this position, the angle bar clips 66 rest in thegrooves 144 in the bending bars 142 and the rib 148 extends upward partway into the groove 58 (FIGURE 15). The heaters 96 and 218 in the bedplate chamber and inside the bending cylinder 208 respectively areenergized in order to heat the bed plate 52 and bending cylinder 208 andconsequently to heat the printing plate 60 and the dummy or adapter 114.The bed plate 52 is heated to a temperature of 550 to 600 F. to softenthe magnesium alloy printing plate 60, whereas the dummy 114 is heatedto 50 to less, so that in cooling the plate 60 shrinks tightly intoengagement with the dummy 114. The bending cylinder unit 196 is nowrolled to the right until its shaft 194 encounters the stop edge 174 ofthe left-hand stop unit 158, whereupon the starting end O 112. of thedummy or adapter 114 now occupies the posi tion shown in FIGURES 1, 4and 14.

When the dummy or adapter 114, bed plate 52 and printing plate 60 havebecome sufliciently heated, the operator swings the handle 138 of theleft-hand bending unit 120 and consequently its bending bar 142 in aclockwise direction, bending the left-hand end portion of thin portion76 upward from the position shown in FIGURE 15 to that shown in FIGURE6, against the adjacent dummy or adapter end 112 around the roundedcorner edge 110, bringing the holes 84 and 86 into alignment with thethreaded holes 116 (FIGURE 7). This action moves the bores 146 in thebending bar 142 from the vertical position of FIGURE 15 to thehorizontal position of FIGURE 7. The operator then inserts a screw 87 ineach bore 146 and by means of a screw driver (not shown) pushes theshank of each screw 87 through the holes 84 and 86 into the mouth of thethreaded hole 116 and rotates the screw driver to thread the threadedportion of each screw 87 into its respective screw hole 186, therebysecuring the angle bar clip 66 and the adjacent thin end portion 76 ofthe printing plate 60 to the end 112 of the dummy or adapter 114 (FIGURE7) The operator now swings the left-hand stop lever 170 out of the pathof the shaft 194 by pulling outward on the detent knob 192 (FIGURE 2)and swinging the stop lever 170 in a clockwise direction out of the pathof the shaft 194. The operator then rolls the bending cylinder unit fromits left-hand position of FIGURE 1 along its rack bar rail 42, causingthe printing plate 60 to be simultaneously bend and rolled into contactwith the curved surface 152 of the dummy or adapter 114 until the shaft194 arrives against the stop edge 174 of the right-hand stop unit 160,whereupon the opposite edge 112 of the dummy or adapter 114 is nowpresented above the opposite angle bar clip 66 of the printing plateunit 80. The operator then swings the handle 138 and crank arm 136 in acounterclockwise direction to swing their respective angle bar 142upward to the left to bend the adjacent thin portion 76 of the printingplate 60 around the corner edge into contact with the adjacent end 112of the dummy or adapter 114, and consequently bring the screw holes 84and 86 into alignment with the threaded holes 116, whereupon screws 87are inserted through the now horizontal bores 146 in the mannerdescribed above and thus securing the printing plate unit 80 completelyto the dummy or adapter 114. The bending units are now swung backward totheir starting positions of FIGURES 1 and 4, and the printing plate andadapter assembly 150 removed from the bending cylinder 208 by retractingthe clamping devices 250 (FIGURES 8). The assembly 150 is allowed tocool sufliciently for handling, the differential shrinkage causing atight fit between them. The assembly 150 is then ready to be transferredto the press room for mounting upon the rotary press cylinders in thesame manner as the stereotype plates which the assemblies 150 areintended to replace. Printing is then carried out in the usual manner,but by the use of the original printing plate and adapter assemblies150, instead of by stereotype plates.

Modified printing plate and adapter assembly A modified printing plateand adapter assembly, generally designated 280, shown in FIGURES l6 and17 employs a printing plate 282, the main portion 284 of which is thesame as the main portion 63 of the printing plate 60 of FIGURE 11 and itsimilarly has a front surface 286 with the photoengraved and etched cutwhich is to be printed, whereas the rear surface 288 engages thecorrespondingly curved front surface 290 of the dummy or adapter 292,the rear surface 294 of which engages the bending cylinder peripheralsurface 212, as before. The end portion 296 of the printing plate 282differs from that of the printing plate 60 in that it has two relativelynarrow grooves 298 and 300 adjacent one another on the front surface 286and rear surface 288 respectively. The adapter 292, as before, has arounded front edge 302 on the end 304 thereof and also has a rabbet 306formed in the rear surface 294 thereof.

The plate-securing device 308, however, differs greatly from securingdevice 66 of FIGURE 11, termed the angle bar clip. The securing device308 consists of a hollow structural member of approximately rectangularcross-section with a front wall 310, outer end wall 312, rear wall 314and inner end wall 316. The rear wall 314 has an extension 318projecting into and flush with the rabbet 306 and secured therein byscrews 320. The rear wall 314 and its extension 3 18 have acylindrically-curved rear surface 322 which is of the same curvature asthe cylindrical rear surface 294 of the adapter 292 so as to mergesmoothly therewith. The inner end wall 316 abuts the end surface 304 ofthe adapter 292 but terminates short of the corner edge 302. The frontwall 310 also terminates short of the rounded corner edge 302 of theadapter 292 so as to provide a gap 324 through which the end portion 296of the printing plate 282 projects into the interior chamber 326 of thedevice 308, and rests against the inclined or bevelled internal portion328 of the front wall 310.

The rear wall 314 has a flat internal surface 330 (FIG- URE 16) whichthe flat rear surface 332 of a clamping bar 334 slidably engages. Thefront of the clamping bar 334 has inclined stepped forward and rearwardsurfaces 336 and 338 with a beveled shoulder 340 between them adapted tobite into the side wall of the inner groove 300 while the surfaces 336and 338 respectively engage the bottom of the groove 380 and therearward surface 288 of the printing plate 282 adjacent it. The clampingbar 334 is provided with laterally-spaced threaded holes 342 throughwhich are threaded screws 344, the conical heads of which are seated inflared holes 346 in the end wall 312, Whereas their ends engage theinner surface of the inner wall 316 as an abutment. The opposite end ofthe dummy or adapter 292 is provided with a solid securing device (notshown) similar to the securing device but lacking the take-up screws 346and having an immovable portion or bevelled shoulder like the shoulder334 onto which the end of the plate 282 is hooked.

In the operation of securing the plate 282 to the adapter 292, the plate282 is first bent to the curvature of the adapter 292 in the samebending machine previously described without using the end-bendingmechanisms so that it possesses the proper curvature to accurately andsnugly fit the outer cylindrical surface 290 of the adapter 292. Theprinting plate 282, thus curved, is placed against the dummy or adapter292 without further heating and its opposite end portions 296 slidthrough the gaps 324 into the chamber 326 where their grooves 300 arehooked onto their respective shoulders 340. The screws 344 of theclamping device 308 are then rotated by a screw driver in order to pullthe clamping bar 334 to the left and pull the printing plate 282 tightlyagainst the outer front sur face 290 of the dummy or adapter 292.

This arrangement has the advantage of simplicity and ease of applicationand is useful where there is space available between the head and tailstops of the printing press. Where the maximum number of lines are to beprinted, however, and such space is not available, the arrangement 150shown in FIGURE is employed because it has the maximum arcuate length ofprinting surface in proportion to the overall arcuate length of theassembly 150 between its opposite ends.

Further modified printing plate and adapter assembly The furthermodified printing plate and adapter assembly, generally designated 350,shown in FIGURE 18 is generally similar to the assembly 292 of FIGURES16 and 17 and has the same advantages and limitations thereof, as statedabove. Since the assembly 350 is for the most part of similarconstruction to the assembly 292,

duplication of description is unnecessary and is avoided by applyingsimilar reference numerals to corresponding parts. In the assembly 350,the dummy or adapter 292 is additionally provided at its end 304 with arecess or socket 353 and the inner wall 316 of the clamping device 354is bored and threaded at 356, whereas the bore 358 in the clamping bar334 is smooth and of smaller diameter than the threaded bore 356.

The hole 360 in the outer Wall 312 replaces the flared hole 346 andserves for the insertion of a so-called Allen wrench 362 shown in dottedlines in FIGURE 18. This wrench 362, which is well known in themechanical arts, is of hexagonal cross-section and snugly but removablyfits a recess or socket 364 of hexagonal cross-section in the reduceddiameter stem 366 of a headless adjusting screw 368, the enlargeddiameter shank 370 of which is threaded through the threaded bore 356into the socket 352, which has sufficient clearance to receive it. Theremainder of the construction is substantially the same as that ofFIGURE 16 and similar reference numerals are therefore employed. Theprinting plate 282 is also of the same construction as the printingplate 282 of FIGURES 16 and 17. A solid or non-adjustable clampingdevice similar to the adjustable clamping device 354 is also used at theopposite ends of the dummy or adapter 292 of FIGURE 18, so that it issimilar to FIGURE 16, the clamping bar 334 thereof being tfixed andlacking the adjusting screws 368.

The operation of the further modified assembly 350 as regards theinsertion of the printing plate 282 and the clamping of its oppositeends is also substantially the same as that described above inconnection with FIGURES 16 and 17, the printing plate 282 beingsimilarly precurved upon a conventional bending machine before slidingits opposite ends 296 laterally through the respective gaps 324 of theclamping devices 354 into the interior chambers 326 thereof and hookingtheir internal grooves 300 onto the respective shoulders 340 of theirrespective clamping bars 334.

Multiple printing plate and single adapter assembly The multipleprinting plate and single adapter assembly, generally designated 380,shown in FIGURES 19, 20 and 21 is for the purpose of enabling two ormore printing plates 383 to be mounted in tandem upon a single dummy oradapter 384 so that their combined thicknesses will be substantially thesame as the conventional thickness of the curved stereotype plate (notshown) which it replaces in the high speed rotary printing press, suchas is used in modern newspaper printing plants. The printing plate 382is similar to the printing plate 60, except for its shorter length, andhas a similar main or central portion 381 and grooved end portions 383.The radial thickness of a conventional stereotype plate is approximatelyof an inch, whereas the engraved printing plate 382 has a thickness ofapproximately .065 inch. The dummy or adapter 384, as before, has aninner cylindrical surface 386 of substantially the same curvature as thecylindrical surface of the press cylinder which it is intended to fit.The outer cylindrical surface 388 has circum-ferentiallyspacedlaterally-extending parallel recesses or grooves 390 with substantiallyfiat bottom surfaces 392 and arcuately convex cylindrical side wallsurfaces 394 (FIGURE 21). Each groove 390 in its bottom wall 396 isprovided with laterally-spaced screw holes 39 8 into which are threadedthe threaded lower portions of clamping screws 400, the upper portionsof which are smooth and rotatably engage similarly-spaced holes 402 inelongated clamping bars 404. The holes 402 are countersunk at theirupper ends to receive the heads of the screws 400 so that they are flushwith the upper surfaces 406 of the clamping bars 404. The clamping bars404 (FIGURE 21) on their opposite sides have stepped arcuately-concaveside surfaces 408 and 410 respectively with a shoulder 412 between themadapted to engage one side Wall of the groove 414m each end portion 383of the printing plate 382. The clamping bars 404 are of slightly lessthickness than the grooves 390 which are intended to receive them.

Before mounting the printing plates 382 upon the dummy or adapter 384,the plates 382 are pre-curved in a conventional bending machine (notshown). They are then placed upon the outer surface 388 of the adapter384 with ther grooved end portions 383 overhanging the grooves orrecesses 390 from which the clamping bars 404 have been temporarilyremoved. The clamping bars 404 are then replaced with their oppositeedge portions overhanging the end portions 383 of the plates 382 and thescrews 400 inserted in their holes 398 and rotated by means of a screwdriver. The rotation of the screws 400 causes the clamping bar 404 tomove downward into its respective groove or recess 390, causing the endportions 383 of the printing plate 382 to be pulled downward against thecurved side surfaces 394 of the groove 390, as shown on a large scale inFIGURE 21 and on a small scale in FIGURE 20.

Before tightening the screws 400 in each clamping bar 404, however, theoperator engages the clamping bar 404 at the opposite end of theprinting plate 382 so that each printing plate 382 is engaged at bothends by a clamping bar 404. Where printing plates 382 are arranged withtheir end portions adjacent one another, the clamping bar 404 engagesboth of the adjacent ends 383, as shown in FIGURE 21, and in the centralportion of FIGURE 20. Where a recess 390 is temporarily not in use, asshown to the right and left of the top of FIG- URE 20, a filler bar 415of corresponding shape is inserted therein and secured by screws 416.The upper surface 406 of the clamping bar 404 is brought down flush withthe upper surface 388 of the dummy or adapter 382 so as to form inefi'ect a continuation thereof spanning the groove or recess 390 notbeing used for clamping purposes.

Modified bending cylinder and bed plate The modified bending cylinderunit, generally designated 420, shown in FIGURES 22 and 23 is for thesame purpose as the bending cylinder unit 196 of FIG- URE 2, except thatit is of slightly different construction and has a different heatingarrangement. In particular, the bending cylinder 420 consists generallyof a hollow drum portion 422 With a hollow cylindrical peripheralportion 424, an integral end portion 426 on one end and a detachable endplate 428 on the other end. The end portion 426 of the drum 422 has ahollow boss 430 which has a bore 432 for receiving the bending cylindersupporting shaft 434, the latter being generally similar to the bendingcylinder supporting shaft 194 of FIGURE 2. The drum 422 is preferablymade of wrought aluminum and has a cylindrical chamber 436 within thehollow cylindrical peripheral portion 424 and through which the bendingcylinder supporting shaft 434 passes, in a manner similar to that shownin FIG- URE 2. An insulating disc 438 of suitable heat-insulatingmaterial is interposed between the rim 440 of the end plate 428 and thecylindrical portion 424 of the drum 422. The end plate 428 also has ahollow cavity 442 likewise containing a cup-shaped insulating member orlayer 444 of material similar to that of the disc 438 and for thesimilar purpose of retarding heat conduction and consequently reducingloss of heat.

The cylindrical peripheral portion 424 of the drum 422 is provided withmultiple elongated bores or sockets 446 (FIGURE 22) disposed parallel tothe axis of the shaft 434 and disposed at peripherallyspaced locationsaround the cylindrical portions 424, the insulating disc 438 beingprovided with aligned holes 448. Seated in the bores or sockets 446 andextending axially through the holes 448 are elongated tubular electricalheating units or cartridges 450 of conventional construction, eachcontaining an electrical heating element (not shown),

the leads 452 and 454 of which project outward from one end of each unit450 and are connected respectively to approximately circular conductors456 and 458 (FIG- URE 23) which in turn are connected respectively toradial conductors 460 and 462. The radial conductors 460 and 462 passradially inward through the chamber 442 and into the shaft bore 464within the supporting shaft 434, whence they proceed axially to and intothe hub or plug 466 in the end of the shaft bore 464. The hub 466, likethe hub 234 of FIGURE 2, is of insulating material and hasaxially-spaced contact rings 468 and 470 embedded therein and connectedrespectively to the conductors 460 and 462.

The contact rings or split rings 468 and 470 are engaged by brushes 472and 474 mounted in a hollow casing 476 encircling the hub 466 andconnected to conductors 478 and 480 leading to a source of electriccurrent in a manner similar to that described in connection with theconductors 242 and 244 of FIGURE 2. As in FIGURE 2, the hub 484 of agear 484 is mounted on the shaft 434 at each end of the bending cylinder420 and has teeth (not shown) similar to the teeth 200 of the gear 198of FIGURE 2 and similarly meshing with the teeth 44 of the rack bars 42(FIGURE 1) forming the parallel tracks on which the gears 484 roll. Theoperation of the modified bending cylinder unit 420 is substantially thesame as that of the bending cylinder unit 196 described above inconnection with FIGURE 2, hence a repetition of the operation is deemedunnecessary.

The modified bed plate, generally designated 490, shown in FIGURES 24 to26 inclusive, is also generally similar to the bed plate 52 of FIGURES 3and 4 and differs principally in the manner of heating the plate. Thebed plate 490 is approximately cross-shaped and has an upper unit 492including an upper Wall 494 possessing a substantially fiat top surface496 with parallel upstanding ridges 498 at its opposite ends which areadapted to enter the corresponding grooves 58 in the bottom of theprinting plate 60 at the opposite ends thereof in a manner similar tothe ridges 56 on the top surface 54 in FIGURE 11. The upper unit 492 ofthe bed plate 490 has projecting end flanges 50 defining elongatedchambers 502 (FIGURES 24 and 26) formed in its opposite sides 504 whichare closed by the elongated side wall portions 506 rising from theopposite sides of the base 508 of a base unit, generally designated 510,on opposite sides of an elongated shallow troughlike recess 512 intowhich the upper unit 492 fits. The upper wall 496 is provided withspaced parallel bores 514 into which tubular electrical heating units orcartridges 516 are inserted, these being similar to the heating units450 of FIGURES 22 and 23 and of conventional construction.

Each of the heating units 516 has a heating element (not shown) thereinsupplied with electricity by twin leads 518 and 520 connectedrespectively to longitudinal conductors 524 and 526 which in turn areconnected to conductors 528 and 530 (FIGURE 25) passing downward throughholes 532 and 534 in an insulating plate 536 and in the base 508respectively. The base unit 510 is bolted as at 538 to the upper unit492 to hold the parts in assembly. The base unit 510 haslaterally-projecting side portions 540 (FIGURE 24) corresponding to theside portions 50 of the bed plate 52 of FIGURE 3, the side portions 540being provided with threaded holes 542 for receiving the bolts 48 bywhich the rack bars 42 are secured thereto (FIGURE 3). The bed plateupper unit 49 is conveniently made of wrought aluminum. The operator ofthe bed plate 492 is substantially the same as that described inconnection with the bed plate 52 and hence no duplication of thedescription is deemed necessary.

What we claim is:

1. A bending machine for bending'and securing a flat original printingplate to a curved adapter for substitution for a curved stereotype in arotary cylinder printing press, said machine comprising a substantiallyflat bed adapted to receive the original printing plate and having alongitudinal guideway thereabove, a traveling plate-bending structure ofapproximately cylindrical form disposed above said bed in rollingrelationship to said bed and guideway and having an adapter-receivingseat on the periphery thereof, a curved plate adapter body detachablysecured to said seat of said plate-bending structure and movabletherewith into close proximity to a printing plate on said bed, and aplate end bending device mounted at one end of said bed and having aplate end gripper thereon, said plate end bending device being movablefrom an inoperative retracted position through a platebending zone to anadvance position to bend the plate ends gripped thereby around the endedge of said adapter into engagement with the end of said adapter uponarrival of said plate-bending structure and adapter thereon at alocation adjacent said plate end bending device.

2. A bending machine for bending and securing a flat original printingplate to a curved adapter for substitution for a curved stereotype on arotary cylinder printing press, according to claim 1, wherein said platebending structure has a central shaft with an end projecting therefromand wherein an upstanding stop device is disposed adjacent said bed andhas a stop portion projecting into the path of travel of said end ofsaid shaft into engageability therewith in a position adapted to haltsaid bending structure in response to the arrival of said end of saidadapter adjacent the end of the plate to be bent therearound.

3. A bending machine for bending and securing a flat original printingplate to a curved adapter for substitution for a curved stereotype in arotary cylinder printing press, according to claim 2, wherein saidupstanding stop device includes a stop support secured to said bed andwherein said stop portion includes a stop member movably mounted on saidstop support and movable relatively thereto into and out of the path oftravel of said end of said shaft of said bending structure.

4. A bending machine for bending and securing a flat original printingplate to a curved adapter for substitution for a curved stereotype in arotary cylinder printing press, according to claim 1, wherein a plateend bending device is mounted at each end of said bed and has a plateend gripper thereon, each plate end bending device being movable fromsaid inoperative retracted position through said bending zone to saidadvanced position to bend the plate end gripped thereby around theopposite end edges of the adapter into engagement with the opposite endsof the adapter upon arrival of said plate bending structure and adapterthereon at a location adjacent said plate end bending device.

5. A bending machine for bending and securing a flat original printingplate to a curved adapter for substitution for a curved stereotype in arotary cylinder printing press, according to claim 1, wherein means isprovided in said bed -for heating said printing plate, whereinelectrical heating means is also provided in the interior of saidtravelling plate bending structure for heating said seat and saidadapter, and wherein means is also provided for maintaining conductionof electric current to said electrical heating means during rollingtravel of said travelling plate bending structure along said bed.

6. A bending machine for bending and securing a flat original printingplate to a curved adapter for substitution for a curved stereotype in arotary cylinder printing press, according to claim 5, wherein said platebending structure has an internal cavity thereon, wherein a hollow shaftis connected centrally to said structure, wherein elongated electricalheating units are disposed in said cavity, and wherein said currentconduction maintaining means includes electrical current conductorsextending through said hollow shaft to a connection with an externalsource of electrical current.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS670,167 Wood Mar. 19, 1901 1,637,747 Halstead Aug. 2, 1927 1,640,580Smith Aug. 30, 1927 1,640,582 Smith Aug. 30, 1927 2,242,924 SchlattnerMay 20, 1941 2,275,218 Chambers Mar. 3, 1942 2,276,012 Blackley Mar. 10,1942 2,581,718 Schaflert et a1. Ian. 8, 1952 2,663,349 Albrecht Dec. 22,1953 2,667,834 Ziebell Feb. 2, 1954 2,681,007 Harless June 15, 19542,687,762 Faeber Aug. 31, 1954 2,800,856 Myers July 30, 1957

